1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a handle assembly for carts or wheeled luggage and more particularly to a handle assembly which includes a pair of telescoping tube assemblies that carry at least one locking assembly for releasably securing the tubes of the tube assemblies in an extended or retracted position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art includes a wide variety of carts and wheeled luggage with telescoping and collapsible handle assemblies. For example, Cheng U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,664 discloses a trolley with telescopic tubes, Kazmark, Sr. U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,476 discloses a portable luggage carrier with a telescoping handle, and Carrigan, Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,306 discloses wheeled luggage with a handle assembly. Some of the handle assemblies in these carts and luggage include means for stopping the separation of telescoping tubes while others include means for locking the handle assemblies in more than one position, typically a retracted and an extended position.
The carrier described in Kazmark, Sr. U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,476 includes means for locking the handle assemblies. It has a handle assembly comprising a pair of collapsible and telescoping tube assemblies. The lower ends of the intermediate and upper tubes carry lock buttons which extend through openings in the upper ends of the lower and intermediate tubes to releasably lock the tubes in an extended position. A pair of upper and lower release bars which extend between the tube assemblies adjacent the upper ends of the lower tubes release the lock buttons.
Some prior art devices do not lend themselves to easy application in wheeled luggage. Others are complex arrangements with a multitude of components. The complexities of those prior art devices make them susceptible to malfunctions such as binding or jamming. Still other prior devices require actuators disposed outwardly of telescoping tubes to lock and unlock the tubes.
The handle assembly of the present invention includes at least one locking assembly disposed in the handle assembly tubing and cooperating with the tubing to allow a user to place and lock the handle assembly in an extended or retracted position. The handle assembly is a simple construction which minimizes the expense of manufacture and provides quick and effective operation.